


Anything

by addiction1510



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Egg Laying, F/F, Gem Egg Hell, Miscarriage, Oviposition, Pre-Canon, egg pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 20:34:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4277019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addiction1510/pseuds/addiction1510
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The moment the other started showing, she knew there was too many. Her stomach was too big for her to be that early on. Peridot had insisted she could handle it, but she knew better. She didn’t say it, because the other would argue with her about her abilities when Jasper simply knew that none of them were going to make it. Gems her size didn’t normally carry that may for a reason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anything

The moment the other started showing, she knew there was too many. Her stomach was too big for her to be that early on. Peridot had insisted she could handle it, but she knew better. She didn’t say it, because the other would argue with her about her abilities when Jasper simply knew that none of them were going to make it. Gems her size didn’t normally carry that may for a reason.

When the first scan came up with twenty-two large eggs, she did her very best not to say anything. At most, the mechanically inclined gem should have been carrying anywhere from six to thirteen. Twenty-two was too much. However, the other didn’t seem to care. She assured Jasper that they were all going to make it, and nothing would change her mind. She was sure of the fact that they’d make it, and Jasper’s heart broke a little more each time she said something about them, because she knew.

By the time Peridot got close to laying them, she couldn’t walk. She was too swollen, and her body ached. Jasper took care of her because she loved her. However, the entire time all she could think was how useless it all was. None of them would make it, and the mechanic would be lucky if she did. When the scream filled the ship for her help because it was happening now, she felt her heart ache as she rushed to her side.

The green gem barely made it. The eggs were as big as they had seemed on the screen, and they were so much more than Jasper had thought they’d be. Twenty-two was the largest number she had ever heard of a gem having, and it seemed to wrong to see them laying beside her mate, because though they reflected their colours, they were duller than any other ones she had seen. She felt as detached as her lover’s fingers as they grazed over them, because she knew they weren’t going to make it.

Sixty days later, they hadn’t hatched. The colour was too dull, and no scanners could detect a single sign of life. They never had, not even on the first day.

“Peridot?” she asked softly, watching her lover as she sat beside the slowly rotting geodes, tears in her eyes.

“Did I do something wrong?” Her voice was soft, and she did everything she could to wrap her tight in her arms and nuzzle the warm and small gem she so cared for. Of course she would blame herself. Of course.

“No. They never had a chance.”

“Because of me, right? It’s all my fault.”

“No. It’s not your fault. There were too many, and you’re lucky you managed to carry all of them. You should have had half this number, Peridot. Not… Not this many.”

Silence lingered, and she held her until the tears finally started streaking her cheeks. Tomorrow, she would dispose of them and tell Yellow Diamond of the failure. She would be upset, and they’d receive another mission to work on, but whatever. Hopefully it wouldn’t be a second attempt, because the green gem was too small. She had tried telling the leader before, to no avail, and she was sure they’d be downgraded to Kindergarten duty after this.

At that point though, she didn’t care. She couldn’t stand to see the green gem hurt like this again. Anything was better than watching her go through this again. Anything.


End file.
